Mexican Contract Carriers In The U.s.

[Sammie]

My feeder driver husband came home with this information last night; a very hot topic on talk radio here.

Some questions I have in particular regarding this NAFTA decision, since once many of these people make it across the border you know they're not going back:

Mexico has no really thriving industries. What will they be transporting in?

Fedex hires contract carriers. How long will it take them to hire these drivers at four dollars an hour?

"In order to remain competitive" (how many times do we hear that?) how long will it take our company to do the same?

1. Next month, President Bush will allow 17,000 Mexican trucks and truckers to enter this country with no checks and balances in place. Mexican security for this was supposed to be in place by now but the Mexico can't afford it. Rigs will be allowed in with no weight regulations, no load restrictions (as their loads won't be under the same security scrutiny that our truckers loads comply to, which leaves the door wide open to more drug, terrorist, weapons and human smuggling), some with no insurance in place, some truckers with no drivers licenses and criminal driving records, no background checks, and trucks that are not regulated to adhere to our strict safety regulations.

2. Once again, the illegals will receive special treatment by our government. If our truckers broke these laws, their licenses would be pulled, their trucks impounded, and they would be criminally charged.

3. These truckers can haul for far less per load than our own truckers and will take our jobs. This is not a threat, it's been in the planning stages for several years.

4. This plan by Bush is completely one sided as the Mexican truckers will be allowed into America, but once again we have no rights to do the same in Mexico.

5. This is a complete breakdown of the current trucking laws and regulations that govern our teamster truckers and Independent trucking organizations. This will work to destroy the truckers livelihoods and futures, as for many, this is all they have ever done.

 

[Channahon]

Sammie,
From a previous thread.
For what its worth, I'm strouggling with the fence being built to keep Mexicans out of this country and now here's the chance for them to come in and stay. Who knows how this will work out. The article says it a one year pilot program.

For some reason, FEDEX is not allowed in Mexico. I don't remember the details, but I'm guessing that's why they are using contractors.

WASHINGTON — Mexican trucks could begin rolling down U.S. highways within the next two months, under a one-year pilot program announced by government leaders Friday.Ending a quarter-century moratorium that has barred Mexican trucks from making deliveries in the United States beyond a 25-mile commercial zone along the border, the agreement represents the Bush administration's latest effort to achieve the kind of cross-border trucking envisioned under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"The time has come for us to move forward on a long-standing promise with Mexico by taking the trucking provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement off hold," Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said Friday in El Paso.
Under the plan announced at the Bridge of the Americas connecting El Paso to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, 100 Mexican trucking firms will be certified to make U.S. deliveries. At the same time, 100 U.S. firms will be able to operate in Mexico.
U.S. inspectors already are in Monterrey to begin inspecting Mexican trucking firms. Transportation Department officials hope to certify the first Mexican trucking firm within 60 days.
To qualify, Mexican truck drivers will have to hold commercial driver's licenses, comply with U.S. hours-of-service rules and be able to understand questions in English.
"As we move forward with this test program, let me assure you, safety will be the top priority," Peters said.
Mexican trucks will have to be insured by U.S.-licensed firms. The Mexican companies will be permitted to make international deliveries. They will not be allowed to transport goods from one U.S. city to another, carry passengers or haul hazardous materials.
The Teamsters union, which has long opposed the idea of Mexican trucking firms returning to U.S. roadways, assailed the agreement Friday.
The administration is "willing to risk our national security by giving unfettered access to America's transportation infrastructure to foreign companies and their government sponsors," Teamsters General President James Hoffa said.
"They are playing the game of Russian Roulette on America's highways. It is the American driving public who will pay the consequences."
National Transportation Safety Board member Debbie Hersman questioned how the U.S. could spare sending inspectors to Mexico when only a tiny percentage of the hundreds of thousands of U.S. truck companies are inspected every year.
"They lack the inspectors to conduct safety reviews of at-risk domestic carriers," Hersman said, according to the Associated Press. "That situation only gets worse if resources are diverted to the border."
A fourth of U.S. trucks are taken off the road after random inspections because they're unsafe, she said. An even higher percentage of Mexican trucks are taken off the road at Texas border crossings, she said.
Proponents hope the effort will encourage the already burgeoning trade between the United States and Mexico.
"The cross-border trucking pilot program will encourage expansion of an already robust trading relationship with Mexico," said Mary Irace, the National Foreign Trade Council's vice president to trade and export finance.
Guy Erb, director of consulting firm LECG, said Friday's announcement was a positive sign.
"It sounds like they are going about it in the right way," said Erb, one of several government and business leaders who attended a two-day conference on NAFTA at the University of Texas at Austin

 

[Sammie]

Sammie,
From a previous thread.

Sorry, didn't mean to be redundant...

 

[Channahon]

No need to apoligize. I just remember this topic had been posted before and thought you might find it informative

 

[pkgdriver]

Senate Panel Heeds Teamster Demand To Keep Border Closed To Mexican Trucks

WASHINGTON, March 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Teamsters scored a
significant victory today in the fight to stop President Bush's reckless
plan to open the United States' border to unsafe Mexican trucks, with a key
Senate committee voting to block the pilot project.
"The 1.4 million members of the Teamsters Union were heard loud and
clear on Capitol Hill today," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa.
"This is an important first step in our fight to keep America's highways
safe and secure."
The Senate Appropriations Committee blocked funding for the dangerous
pilot program by passing an amendment requiring the Transportation
Department to publish details of the plan and to provide time for public
comment. The committee also voted to require that the pilot project meet
congressionally mandated safety and security standards.
The Bush administration is trying to circumvent those safety
requirements by repackaging the plan as a pilot project, allowing 100
Mexican trucking firms open access to U.S. highways, putting American
drivers at risk.
The amendment was sponsored by Democratic Sens. Byron Dorgan of North
Dakota, Dianne Feinstein of California and Patty Murray of Washington.
"The Teamsters Union has successfully led the battle to keep our border
closed for the past 12 years, and we will not let up in our fight as this
measure moves through Congress," Hoffa said. "I want to thank our allies on
Capitol Hill for standing strong for highway safety."
Hearings in both the Senate and House have revealed that too many
questions remain about how the Bush administration's dangerous experiment
will be carried out, the Transportation Department's ability to inspect
trucks and the Mexican government's ability to meet U.S. standards for
regulating hours of service, driver training and licensing.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is the
nation's largest transportation union, representing 1.4 million hardworking
women and men throughout the United States and Canada.

More info also on Truckingboards Truck Driver Forums in general truck drivers forum

 

[tieguy]

Senate Panel Heeds Teamster Demand To Keep Border Closed To Mexican Trucks

WASHINGTON, March 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Teamsters scored a
significant victory today in the fight to stop President Bush's reckless
plan to open the United States' border to unsafe Mexican trucks, with a key
Senate committee voting to block the pilot project.
"The 1.4 million members of the Teamsters Union were heard loud and
clear on Capitol Hill today," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa.
"This is an important first step in our fight to keep America's highways
safe and secure."
The Senate Appropriations Committee blocked funding for the dangerous
pilot program by passing an amendment requiring the Transportation
Department to publish details of the plan and to provide time for public
comment. The committee also voted to require that the pilot project meet
congressionally mandated safety and security standards.
The Bush administration is trying to circumvent those safety
requirements by repackaging the plan as a pilot project, allowing 100
Mexican trucking firms open access to U.S. highways, putting American
drivers at risk.
The amendment was sponsored by Democratic Sens. Byron Dorgan of North
Dakota, Dianne Feinstein of California and Patty Murray of Washington.
"The Teamsters Union has successfully led the battle to keep our border
closed for the past 12 years, and we will not let up in our fight as this
measure moves through Congress," Hoffa said. "I want to thank our allies on
Capitol Hill for standing strong for highway safety."
Hearings in both the Senate and House have revealed that too many
questions remain about how the Bush administration's dangerous experiment
will be carried out, the Transportation Department's ability to inspect
trucks and the Mexican government's ability to meet U.S. standards for
regulating hours of service, driver training and licensing.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is the
nation's largest transportation union, representing 1.4 million hardworking
women and men throughout the United States and Canada.

More info also on Truckingboards Truck Driver Forums in general truck drivers forum

There are things going on in todays world with this issue and immigration in general that I just don't understand.

 

[rushfan]

I once saw a program on one of the "news hour" shows i.e. nightline, or 20/20 about Mexican carriers. Their equipment was horrible, tires had less than 2/32 tread depth, etc. IMHO it's a bad Idea.

 

[scratch]

I sent an e-mail to my Congressman about this. He is David Scott, a Democrat. I got some form letter back that indicted that he was for it. I didn't vote for this guy, he's supporting illegal immigration and the continued loss of American jobs.1